Advocacy and Policy Officer, Kenya Country Program at PATH

PATH is recruiting an Advocacy and Policy Officer to provide support for PATH’s advocacy and policy initiatives in maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH), Primary Health Care and immunization at national and sub-national level. This role will include advocacy strategy development and implementation, documentation of advocacy efforts, provision of technical assistance to counties, management of small grants for local CSOs and overall project management. The Advocacy and Policy Officer will report to the Policy and Advocacy Kenya Country Lead and work closely with colleagues in Kenya.

Responsibilities:

• Contribute to the development and implementation of advocacy strategies and corresponding work plans to achieve policy change at the national and county levels for budget advocacy, RMNCH, including Global Financing Facility (GFF) related programs, Primary Health Care (PHC), and Immunization (including COVID-19 vaccine roll-out and introduction of oral cholera vaccine).
• Cultivate and strengthen relationships with national and county level target policymakers, government and ministerial officials and staff, strategic partners, and key opinion leaders to promote priority policy changes and policy implementation including investments. Represent PATH in key technical working groups (TWG) and strategic forums at national and subnational level to contribute thought partnerships to policy making processes.
• Provide technical and policy advisory support and thought partnerships to decision makers at national and county levels for reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health, immunization, and primary health care.
• Provide technical assistance to civil society organizations on the development and implementation of effective advocacy strategies/initiatives or approaches at national and county level. 
  • Undertake advocacy skills building and provide technical assistance to civil society organizations and coalitions (coalitions established by or partnering with PATH) to undertake budget advocacy and tracking, and social accountability activities.
  • Maintain regular and strategic communication with coalitions and provide technical support to execute their advocacy mandates. 
  • Manage small grants for civil society organizations undertaking social accountability and budget advocacy supporting workplan development, implementation, documentation, and reporting.
• Build and nurture partnership with county and national level policy makers, regional economic blocs’ leadership, and strategic partners to drive PATH’s advocacy agenda.
• Document PATH’s advocacy successes and learning working closely with other advocacy experts and communications/media officers.
  • Gather evidence to support the development of advocacy material, documents, and presentations.
  • Collaborate with communications specialists across PATH to develop and disseminate innovative advocacy materials targeting policymakers, fellow advocates, and other strategic audiences. Advocacy materials may include print, digital, and multi-media formats. 
• Develop and ensure timely submission of project reports and other in compliance with PATH priorities and policies, and donor requirements. 

Required Skills

• Excellent interpersonal communication skills
• Good organization and presentation skills
• Excellent drafting and reporting skills
• Ability to deliver within short deadlines
• Ability to remain calm, focused and solution-oriented while working under pressure
• Team player
• Good leadership skills

Required Experience

• Bachelor’s degree and at least 5 years of relevant work experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Master’s degree an added advantage.
• Prior work in direct advocacy required.  
• Advocacy experience related to reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health strongly preferred. 
• Experience working in Kenya required.